I have cut three of the beautiful golden roses we were given for our Golden wedding some years ago. They smell divine. 
This intriguing gate is in Montecatini Termé, Tuscany.
I like this new word.
And it’s Father’s Day so just a word to remember my lovely Dad.
Most of these were taken in Pistoia but odd ones we found in Siena. They pleased me with their variety, their lovely shapes, the wooden doors and the humour. Click on any photo to see the detail.
Loveliness
We were dazzled by the Markets everywhere, full of colour, such a variety of beautiful, fresh and very big vegetables!
Loveliness
Buying my lemons to bring home
Courgette flowers
Fruit stall
Oh my, we ate some delicious food! Some I can give you the name, others, I forgot to get a photo of the menu. Such beautiful presentation and absolutely delicious. It was really lovely to share them with new friends K and A.
Our meal in Pistoia was another treat.
Caprese for supper one evening in the hotel in Montecatini Terme
Our last meal with aforementioned friends in Montecatini at a delightful restaurant in the town.
From this point onwards the sun shone!
Most of our journeys from Montecatini Terme were by train, this one was a coach trip to the “City of the Beautiful Towers’ and it was very beautiful.We visited the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, the duomo, and were blown away by the lovely frescoes, the painted ceilings, the stained glass. The views from the hill top town were lovely too. We also visited a delightful museum and had dinner at a vineyard – more of that another day.
Another deluge, this time in lovely Lucca, so much that we were all wet through so after a very good lunch, we went for an earlier train back to Montecatini Terme. The sun shone on us there so we explored some more.
The heavens opened as we left our hotel, boarded the train and visited Florence, along with thousands of others as we visited on a bank holiday, it being May Day! We were taken around by a guide who filled us with information, most of which I promptly forgot. Dodging the puddles meant looking up to see the beauty in Florence was quite hard but we had fun anyway.
I had a mission for the day – to buy myself a red purse with Firenze on it. Many years ago when I was about 17, my Daddy had been on a school trip with his pupils and he brought me home a lovely red purse from Florence. Sadly, I left it in a phone box and though I returned within minutes, it had gone. Now, 70 years later, I have another.
Umbrellas in the crowds
Wedding couple – in the rain
In a brief respite from the rain, with calm waters, the Ponte Vecchio
We took the train to Tuscany – well, several trains! After three days by train and two overnight stays – Redruth to St Pancras, St Pancras to Chambéry and finally Chambéry to Montecatini Terme where we stayed for the next eight nights and a first day of exploration and adventures.
Montecatini Terme is a spa town with a beautiful park and a wonderful old spa building, Terme Tettucio where we spent the morning with new friends.
We then went up the delightful funicular to the old hilltop village of Montecatini Alto, found a lovely place to have lunch and enjoyed the architecture and the very extensive views. Enjoy the gallery and click on any photo for a bigger picture.
The view
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